CityLife: Christmas in the city

You can fairly accurately judge how busy life is by the frequency of blog posts.  Since there hasn't been anything added here since early November, you can safely assume things have not been slow and quiet.

Back in October, I was fortunate to get a job working at the Washington Patagonia store. Those in the outdoor world know that Patagonia has long been a recognized leader in the outdoor industry and is one of (if not the best) producer of quality outdoor clothing and equipment.  Their retail stores are few are far between (DC is the only store between Atlanta and New York) and it's been great fun working in the store. The local store, an old rambling brick building covered in ivy, sits on the banks of the C&O Canal in Georgetown. I've recently started a different full-time job and ended my time at Patagonia, but I really enjoyed my time there.

I extended our pedestrian lifestyle to my Patagonia commute.  Over the span of 4 months, I only drove to the store two or three times, choosing instead to Metro and walk (about 15 minutes, either through historic Georgetown or across the beautiful Francis Scott Key bridge) there, then walk the entire distance back home.  It was slightly over 4 miles, took about an hour, and was a beautiful walk past the Georgetown Waterfont and down the length of the National Mall. I truly enjoyed my time there and I'll miss it as I transition into a new job.

We rolled straight into Christmas and the Holidays.  DC is a fun place to be during the Holidays, as there are a plethora (Ginger's word) of activities, concerts and events to engage in.  Some of this year's highlights include the Navy Band Christmas Concert at Constitution Hall, the National Christmas Tree (not to be confused with the Capitol Christmas Tree) and the incredible Nativity collection at Washington National Cathedral. Check out some of the pictures below (and full disclosure--I didn't take all of these.)

The National Christmas Tree is located on the "Ellipse", the large open space just south of the White House.  It is surrounded by 56 smaller trees, one for each of the 50 states and territories.

The U.S. Capitol Tree is much taller than its cousin across town (I'm sure that isn't an accident.) A tradition since 1963, the Capitol tree is always D.C.’s tallest. This year, Wyoming contributed its first Capitol tree—an 83-year-old Engelmann spruce described by one local reporter as the tree “you’d want for your living room—if you had 70-foot ceilings.”

We discovered a fantastic seasonal exhibit at the Washington National Cathedral. The Cathedral has a collection of over 500 Nativity scenes from around the world, and each year, they place a small selection of them on display.  Here are a few photos of the 100+ that were displayed this year.

Inside the National Cathedral.

One of my favorite Nativity scenes, this scene was made from cut and soldered nails and washers.

This Italian creche is made with hand blown glass.

The scene was made in the Philippines from thin rolls of newspaper.

With both of us having to work the days immediately before and after Christmas, we spent a quiet Christmas in DC, and were able to head to the Carolina's for a few days around New Years.

This year, 142,000 wreaths were placed on graves across Arlington National Cemetery.

So that's a quick recap of the last few months in the city. The spring promises lots of new adventures, and we'll be seeking out the best that city life has to offer. If this blog doesn't get updated as much, it's because we are out and about in the city.  Come for a visit and we'll explore it together.